– I never thought that I would go through my whole life while he was still in prison, says Arab Barghouti to news. It has been over 20 years since his father ended up behind bars in an Israeli prison. But even after so long, it is Marwan Barghouti that Palestinians point to as the one they want as their leader. And now the ceasefire negotiations have given them hope. Because Barghouti is supposed to be one of the prisoners Hamas is demanding to be released in return for the release of the hostages held in Gaza. – We know he is on the list, the son asserts. GRAFFITI: On the wall that separates the occupied West Bank from Israel, the face of Marwan Barghouti is scratched. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news Five life sentences Marwan Barghouti helped organize the Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s, called the second intifada. For that he was brought before an Israeli court. Barghouti was accused of inciting violence against Israelis. He was found guilty of murder and of being part of a terrorist organization. Now he is serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison. Arab Barghouti was 11 years old when his father was taken to court with his arms in handcuffs, raised above his head. ICONIC: The image of Marwan Barghouti raising his handcuffed arms above his head has become symbolic for Palestinians. Photo: AFP – It was painful. The trial was a farce, says the son. – Israel calls him a terrorist? – Israel calls anyone who stands up against the occupation a terrorist, and if anyone should be called a terrorist, it is the Israeli government, believes the 33-year-old. Popular leader People on the streets of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank see 64-year-old Barghouti as a freedom fighter. By many he is called “the Nelson Mandela of the Palestinians”. Mandela fought against the apartheid regime in South Africa, and became the country’s president after being released from prison after 27 years behind bars. – It would mean a lot to us if he was released, says 21-year-old Sama Issa about Marwan Barghouti. – He should be released, and with God’s help he will become our president, says Anwar Mustafa. HOPE: 21-year-old Sama Issa hopes Barghouti will be released. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news Barghouti is more popular than both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank combined, according to a poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in June. Then 42 percent of those asked said they want Barghouti as president. Only five percent supported the Palestinian Authority’s current president Mahmoud Abbas, while 27 percent wanted former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in an assassination attempt in Iran’s capital Tehran in July. Leadership vacuum – There is a terrible vacuum in the Palestinian leadership. There is no next generation of politicians. It gives a feeling of hopelessness. The only one who gives hope is Marwan, says long-time commentator in the newspaper Haaretz, Gideon Levy. Levy refers to Barghouti as a friend after getting to know him in the 1990s when Israel and the Palestinians were negotiating a peace settlement. He describes Barghouti as a pragmatic voice at the negotiating table. VACUUM: Gideon Levy believes the Palestinians have no other leaders who give them hope. Photo: Ksenia Novikova But when the Oslo process derailed and it was clear to him that a Palestinian state was no longer in sight, he became disillusioned. It made him support a violent rebellion, believes Levy, who was present in the courtroom in 2002. – Barghouti is not a murderer. Barghouti is not a terrorist. He is a freedom fighter, says Levy. But he believes Israel will never agree to release him because of “the qualities he has”. – He can become a negotiating partner for Israel, and that is the last thing they want. – Can unite the Palestinians Arab Barghouti has not been allowed to visit his father in prison for two years. But he believes that Marwan Barghouti can play a role in resolving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. – My father is a unifying figure in whom all sides have confidence. He wants to be able to unite the Palestinians, he says. MANDELA: Marwan Barghouti is equated with Nelson Mandela by many Palestinians. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news The former Israeli hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin has also advocated that Marwan Barghouti should be released, but there is little indication that this will happen in the near future. As recently as January this year, Israel’s Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir described him on X as a terrorist and a murderer. Published 02.09.2024, at 07.13
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Marwan Barghouti is called the “Mandela of the Palestinians” – Israel thinks he is a terrorist – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
